Crime in Whitley: statistics, rates and trends
1,568 crimes were recorded in Whitley in the 12 months to August 2026, 114.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 11% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (537), shoplifting (317) and other theft (136) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 918th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Whitley | Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,568 | 20,492 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 114.6 | 112.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +11% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 13,681 | 182,907 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Whitley of any year here (1,568 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 96%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,568 | 114.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,418 | 103.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,358 | 99.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,210 | 88.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 888 | 64.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 958 | 70.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 918 | 67.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 794 | 58.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 801 | 58.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 119 |
| July 2026 | 146 |
| June 2026 | 147 |
| May 2026 | 171 |
| April 2026 | 178 |
| March 2026 | 141 |
| February 2026 | 96 |
| January 2026 | 89 |
| December 2025 | 117 |
| November 2025 | 128 |
| October 2025 | 117 |
| September 2025 | 119 |
Compared with England and Wales, Whitley recorded notably more shoplifting (2.7 times the national rate), bicycle theft (2.5 times the national rate) and robbery (88% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (41% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 22 to 54 and other theft rose from 78 to 136, while bicycle theft fell from 40 to 28 and burglary fell from 54 to 43.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 537 | 39.3 | 34.2 | +34% |
| Shoplifting | 317 | 23.2 | 8.5 | -19% |
| Other theft | 136 | 9.9 | 6.4 | +74% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 125 | 9.1 | 15.4 | -11% |
| Public order | 105 | 7.7 | 6.7 | +17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 96 | 7.0 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Vehicle crime | 58 | 4.2 | 5.0 | -13% |
| Drugs | 54 | 3.9 | 3.3 | +145% |
| Burglary | 43 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -20% |
| Robbery | 35 | 2.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 28 | 2.0 | 0.8 | -30% |
| Other crime | 24 | 1.8 | 2.1 | +14% |
| Possession of weapons | 7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Whitley; the highest is Abbey, Reading (429.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Redlands (86.2).
The 10 locations below account for 54% of the crime recorded in Whitley over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (297).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 297 |
| On or near Supermarket | 155 |
| On or near Shooters Way | 139 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 78 |
| On or near Chagford Road | 40 |
| On or near Fair Isle Way | 34 |
| On or near Sunapee Road | 29 |
| On or near Midgham Way | 26 |
| On or near Ambrook Road | 22 |
| On or near Durham Close | 21 |
Of the 1,443 crimes in Whitley with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 125 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 522 | 36.2% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 433 | 30.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 218 | 15.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 77 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 59 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 51 | 3.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 36 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 21 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 12 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 2 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Whitley has an estimated population of 13,681 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (25%, against 17%), fewer retired residents (13%, against 22%) and a younger population (11%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Whitley average decile 4.2 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Whitley | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 22.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 49.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 24.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Whitley a safe place to live?
Whitley recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 918th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Whitley?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 537 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (317).
Is crime in Whitley going up or down?
Recorded crime in Whitley was up 11% on the year before: 1,568 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,418 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Whitley?
About 13,681 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 11% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Whitley?
Whitley is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.